MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A new lawsuit alleges officials at Starkey Hearing Technologies were fired last month in retaliation after the stepson of the company's chief executive wasn't promoted. The lawsuit filed Friday alleges breach of trust, defamation of character and spying. In the industry, Ruzicka and Guggenberger are largely credited with helping build Starkey's hearing aid business to a company with $800 million in annual revenue. [...] the lawsuit said Austin marginalized Ruzicka after Austin's stepson, sales and marketing senior vice president Brandon Sawalich, wasn't promoted. The complaint said that once Ruzicka believed his employment contract wasn't going to be renewed, he made plans to leave Starkey and start his own company.